General Manager - People | Tumuaki Hāpai Ō & Āheitanga
For more than 106 years, Te Tāpui Atawhai Auckland City Mission has stood alongside Aucklanders in greatest need. Through connection and access to kai, kāinga and hauora, it provides immediate relief and pathways to long-term wellbeing, working towards its vision of a Tāmaki Makaurau where everyone can thrive.
Grounded in manaakitanga, rangapū, atawhai and manatika/mana ōrite, the Mission understands that the inequities experienced by Māori are inseparable from breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the ongoing impacts of colonisation. It is committed to addressing these inequities through decolonisation, re-indigenisation and by embedding Te Tiriti in its relationships, decisions and ways of working, while advocating fearlessly with and for people experiencing greatest need.
Te āhua o te tūranga | The opportunity
As General Manager - People, you will lead the Mission’s people strategy and help build the workforce, leadership, culture and organisational capability needed for the future.
Reporting to the Director, Support Services and contributing as part of the senior leadership team, you will be a trusted adviser to the Chief Executive, directors and leaders on complex employment, workforce and organisational matters.
Your initial priority will be to strengthen the foundations of the People function, bringing the team together around a clear direction and lifting the quality, consistency and responsiveness of people practice. From this foundation, you will shape a progressive, Te Tiriti-led people strategy that strengthens leadership, workforce planning, organisational development and the employee experience.
Working in partnership with the Director Māori Development Services and alongside Māori leadership and expertise, you will help embed culturally safe and equitable people practices, strengthen pathways for Māori and Pasifika kaimahi and leaders, and use workforce insights and feedback from kaimahi to remove barriers and improve organisational effectiveness.
Ngā tino pūkenga me whai | What you will bring
You will be an experienced, values-led people leader who combines strategic thinking with sound judgement and a pragmatic approach to delivery.
Experience in a complex, service-led, kaupapa Māori, community or not-for-profit environment would be valuable, as would an appreciation of frontline social services, the importance of lived experience and the emotional demands of the mahi.
Thoughtful and perceptive, you will have the courage to address difficult issues, the resilience to lead through complexity, and the adaptability and pragmatism to find a way forward.
Organisationally savvy, you will balance care for people with clear expectations, professional accountability and effective risk management.
You will bring:
If you are committed to giving practical effect to Te Tiriti, advancing equity, and creating an organisation where kaimahi can thrive, this is an opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting contribution.
For a confidential kōrero and a copy of the Job Description, please contact Maria Lyons or Moana Temel at Niche Recruitment:
Maria Lyons
E: [email protected]
M: 021 403 855
Moana Temel
E: [email protected]
M: 021 499 902
Applications close at 5pm on Monday, 16 November 2026.
- Shape the people, culture and capability of an iconic Auckland organisation
- Lead a talented People team through its next stage of development
- Embed Te Tiriti, equity and inclusion in how the Mission leads, works and makes decisions.
For more than 106 years, Te Tāpui Atawhai Auckland City Mission has stood alongside Aucklanders in greatest need. Through connection and access to kai, kāinga and hauora, it provides immediate relief and pathways to long-term wellbeing, working towards its vision of a Tāmaki Makaurau where everyone can thrive.
Grounded in manaakitanga, rangapū, atawhai and manatika/mana ōrite, the Mission understands that the inequities experienced by Māori are inseparable from breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the ongoing impacts of colonisation. It is committed to addressing these inequities through decolonisation, re-indigenisation and by embedding Te Tiriti in its relationships, decisions and ways of working, while advocating fearlessly with and for people experiencing greatest need.
Te āhua o te tūranga | The opportunity
As General Manager - People, you will lead the Mission’s people strategy and help build the workforce, leadership, culture and organisational capability needed for the future.
Reporting to the Director, Support Services and contributing as part of the senior leadership team, you will be a trusted adviser to the Chief Executive, directors and leaders on complex employment, workforce and organisational matters.
Your initial priority will be to strengthen the foundations of the People function, bringing the team together around a clear direction and lifting the quality, consistency and responsiveness of people practice. From this foundation, you will shape a progressive, Te Tiriti-led people strategy that strengthens leadership, workforce planning, organisational development and the employee experience.
Working in partnership with the Director Māori Development Services and alongside Māori leadership and expertise, you will help embed culturally safe and equitable people practices, strengthen pathways for Māori and Pasifika kaimahi and leaders, and use workforce insights and feedback from kaimahi to remove barriers and improve organisational effectiveness.
Ngā tino pūkenga me whai | What you will bring
You will be an experienced, values-led people leader who combines strategic thinking with sound judgement and a pragmatic approach to delivery.
Experience in a complex, service-led, kaupapa Māori, community or not-for-profit environment would be valuable, as would an appreciation of frontline social services, the importance of lived experience and the emotional demands of the mahi.
Thoughtful and perceptive, you will have the courage to address difficult issues, the resilience to lead through complexity, and the adaptability and pragmatism to find a way forward.
Organisationally savvy, you will balance care for people with clear expectations, professional accountability and effective risk management.
You will bring:
- Significant experience leading and developing a People and Capability function.
- A personally grounded understanding of colonisation and its ongoing impacts in Aotearoa, and a genuine commitment to giving practical effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
- Cultural humility and willingness to deepen mātauranga Māori and kaupapa Māori capability in partnership with Māori leaders.
- Experience shaping people strategy, organisational development, workforce planning and organisational change.
- Strong employment relations expertise, including restorative practice and the oversight of sensitive, complex and high-risk matters.
- A practical, solutions-focused approach underpinned by sound judgement and strong professional standards.
- A relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent professional experience.
If you are committed to giving practical effect to Te Tiriti, advancing equity, and creating an organisation where kaimahi can thrive, this is an opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting contribution.
For a confidential kōrero and a copy of the Job Description, please contact Maria Lyons or Moana Temel at Niche Recruitment:
Maria Lyons
E: [email protected]
M: 021 403 855
Moana Temel
E: [email protected]
M: 021 499 902
Applications close at 5pm on Monday, 16 November 2026.